Which Dugout Is the
Home Team in Baseball?

If you've ever tried to grab seats near your favorite team's dugout at a ballpark you've never been to before, you know the frustration of realizing you're on the wrong side. Unlike most sports where home and away benches are standardized, baseball leaves the dugout decision entirely up to the home team — and not every team makes the same call.

Here's everything you need to know about which side each MLB team calls home, why the tradition developed the way it did, and why a handful of teams break from it entirely.

Which side is the home team dugout?

There is no rule in the MLB rulebook that dictates which team uses which dugout. The decision is entirely the home team's to make. That said, there is a deeply ingrained tradition — most home teams take the first base dugout, and most visiting teams occupy the third base side.

This tradition traces back to the early days of professional baseball in the late 1800s. At most early ballparks, the home team's clubhouse was located behind the first base dugout, making it the more practical choice for the home team. Additionally, when managers routinely served double duty as third base coaches, sitting on the third base side meant less walking between innings — so many chose the first base dugout instead. Over time this became standard practice even as the practical reasons faded.

Today roughly 60% of MLB teams use the first base side. The remaining 40% use the third base dugout — usually for specific reasons tied to their particular stadium's orientation, sun exposure, or historical layout.

Every MLB team's home dugout side

Why do some teams use the third base dugout?

Every team that breaks from the first-base tradition has a specific reason. It's rarely arbitrary.

What is a dugout in baseball?

The dugout is the team's bench area, located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base, slightly below field level. It's where players, coaches, and authorized team personnel wait when they're not on the field — packed with bats, helmets, gloves, and catching equipment, usually stored in individual cubbies.

The reason dugouts are built below field level is primarily about sightlines. Locating the bench below ground level keeps players from obstructing the view of spectators seated behind the dugout, particularly at home plate — the area where the primary action in baseball is centered. The below-grade design also provides some protection from wind, rain, and hard-hit foul balls that might otherwise reach the bench area.

Why does it matter which dugout you sit near?

If you're buying tickets specifically to sit near your team's dugout — close enough to potentially snag a foul ball during warmups or catch a glimpse of your favorite players between innings — knowing which side is the home dugout before you buy matters. Dugout-adjacent seats are some of the most sought-after in any ballpark, and ending up on the visitor's side when you're a home team fan means you're watching the players you came to see from across the diamond.

The location can also have subtle strategic effects. The home team manager communicates with the first and third base coaches via hand signals from the dugout — meaning the distance and angle to each coach varies depending on which side they're sitting on. Sun and wind exposure during day games can affect how comfortable players are between innings, which is the primary reason so many stadium-specific decisions lean toward the shaded or wind-protected side.

Best dugout celebrations

Whatever side they're on, dugout celebrations have become one of the best parts of the game. Cold-shouldering the rookie after his first homer. The handshake chains that somehow get longer every week. The Orioles' Dong Bong. These guys are making millions of dollars playing baseball and they're still goofing around like it's Little League. That's the dugout. That's the whole thing.

Frequently asked questions